General Comment: Bollocks
Mark: E
Player most like: Sir Stanley Matthews (now)
D. Hodgson: Up for rookie of the year, Dan has had a tremendously watertight season. He has fitted into the back 4 like Pablo Angel has fitted into the Villa front line, seeming to prefer the back 3 system, which allows him to show off his silky 60 yard passing skills, ahem, yes, well maybe 8. However, despite being one of two leopards defenders so shabbily humiliated by yours truly, rookie of the year has one of its main contenders.
General comment: A good start to his leopards career
Mark: C+
Player most like: Frank Leboeuf (once again, too easy)
R. Bryant: A big thumbs up to the Chelmsford one for his appearance record, this despite a season, as usual, dogged by suspensions. His goals have been proving invaluable, yet whilst he has been pushing forward and scoring, sometimes spectacularly, I�m starting to question his defensive abilities. Quick to bawk, as well as maul and assault, our very own Lee Bowyer is too frequently nowadays seen only trying to pass the ball out of our area, rather than tackling in it. And as for the passing, as any quality coach will tell you, �you play the ball in the opposition half.� And with Ethan�s close control not being what it once was, and Ed�s remaining consistent, I have more than once questioned the merits of Richard�s pass or die (quite literally) tactics. A hoof into touch is surely called for on the majority of occasions. Is this criticism fair? Or, as I suspect and am planning to do at typing this, should I go to Papua New Guinea, have Plastic surgery and change my name to Carlos?
General comment: Excellent season
Mark: A
Player most like: A cross between Vinny Jones and Harry Kewell, with the former accounting for 99.5%.
D. Garrod: Everyone remembers the chant, �you�ll never beat Des Walker� being mashed to pieces by Marc Overmars in qualifying for USA 94. In a similar manner, the fans favourite mantra, you�ll only beat Garrod half of the time,� was cruelly shown to be nonsensical by the run and finish of the Webmaster when, to his glee, he was put up in opposition to him. Otherwise Dan, a serious contender for player of the season, has done some excellent work at the back, and has made a fine recovery from the eye injury. Add to this his role in Eastenders as bad boy Nick Cotton, and this season really has been a really remarkable achievement for Dan.
General comment: A great recovery and a superb season.
Mark: A-
Player most like: Des Walker
E. Kline: Having read the book Tom Thumb and taken a deep belief in reincarnation, Ethan has not only found one of his former lives, but seemingly his ball skills on the pitch. Having faced the disadvantage of being introduced to the Leopards as, �a friend of Nick,� and subsequently had the slogan of, �crap,� stamped over his forehead, Ethan has slowly but surely been rubbing the writing away and pencilling in, �good footballer.� Next season, that will need to be written down in permanent marker, and can be done so by involving himself and shouting more in a game. A good bet for rookie of the year.
General comment: Needs to stay involved the whole 90, but a great season.
Mark: A-
Player most like: Alan Wright
B. Panes: The shin-pad phobia is definitely something to be gotten over, if only because each match its heart stopping just watching Bernard enter a tackle. The season has been inconsistent, at times being his normal, �not quite knowing where the ball is yet somehow managing to break tackles,� and yet he has balanced this with, �not quite knowing where the ball is and getting tackled.� Responsible for the miss of the millennium, taking the prize away from Nick VDA who still holds silver and bronze, Bernard has however been a useful supply of goals from the centre of midfield.
General comment: Consistency is the missing link
Mark: B-
Player most like: Paulo Wonchope
E. Fenn-Smith: Quickly becoming a old hand and someone whom the younger players can now look up to as an example of how exactly not to defend, run, control, pass, look-up, dummy, take penalties and shoot, and other such basics, which include how to kick a ball. This year I really believe him to have excelled himself, bringing new levels, some thought impossible, to mediocrity. I would have thought an outright certainty for the Steve Brooke award, and indeed at this point in time, I believe bookies are in fact paying out.
General comment: All of the above
Mark: D-
Player most like: Joe Bloggs
